Marauders read the first Harry Potter book
by Hailey1986
Summary: The marauders read the first Harry Potter book then try and change the future.


A/N: Will be doing the first book only and then do one where the marauders try and stop it from happening. Which of course it does, but then that's where it changes.

James lay on his bed staring at his new Head Boys badge. He just didn't understand why Professor Dumbledore would make _him_ a prefect. Everyone thought it would be Remus or perhaps one of the Ravenclaw boys who James knew they thought studying and following the rules was the only way to go. James and his best friend Sirius were pranksters, they never followed the rules if they could help it. As for studying? Why bother when they could do the work without it? Remus sometimes was involved with their pranks but most of the time he preferred to stay out of it. Peter did whatever James and Sirius did, he liked to follow them. It was useful though, Peter always made a good look-out.

James, Sirius and Peter were all animagus. They always used Peter who could turn into a rat to look around for them or to distract Filches cat Sheela. He was almost eaten quite a few times but it was something for them to laugh about later. Remus who was the reason they became animagus could only join them in animal form during the full moon because he was a werewolf. They had found out back in second year and had decided to help him make the transformations easier because werewolves weren't a danger to animals.

"James!" Sirius shouted.

He, Peter and Remus were sitting on the floor talking. James who was still in shock about being made prefect had ignored them the past half hour.

"What?" James asked sitting up.

"Quit admiring your badge for a bit won't you?" Sirius asked laughing, "We're trying to figure out when we should go to Hogsmeade."

"Tomorrow?" James asked with a yawn, "That's when dad is going. We can go too."

"Still have to be escorted by your parents then?" Remus asked with a somewhat amused look on his face.

"It's this You-Know-Who business that scares them." James answered, "I just wish he would disappear don't you? There is no point in what he is doing and someone is going to defeat him eventually."

"Wish they would hurry up." Remus said, "He is trying to recruit werewolves you know, I want nothing to do with it."

Peter was looking terrified during the whole conversation about You-Know-Who. They all know the thought of You-Know-Who disturbed Peter a lot. "It will be Dumbledore won't it?" Peter finally asked. "He defeated Grindelwald."

"Maybe." Sirius answered. "It will have to be someone powerful like-"

Sirius couldn't finish what he was saying as a book suddenly hit the top of his head. Glaring at James who he thought had done it, he picked the book up and looked at it. Once he saw the title he threw it at James with disgust who was staring at Sirius with shock.

"What was that for?"

"Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone." James read ignoring Sirius. "I didn't throw it at you. Did you see me with a book? I don't know where it came from or who Harry Potter is."

"Sounds like a relative isn't it?" Remus asked as James opened the book, he started reading it in silence before looking up in shock five minutes later.

"Hey wait, listen to this. It says Lily and James Potter die and that Harry is their son." James said confused. "They can't mean Lily Evans and I can they?"

Sirius started to laugh. "Lily Potter? Did you write it?"

Remus however reached over to take the book from James. He read the back of it and then opened it to see for himself. He was looking through the front of the book and gasped. "It's written in the year nineteen ninety seven. That's twenty-one years from now."

"It's a book from the future?" Peter asked.

"From the future?" Sirius asked.

He and James began to laugh but Remus looked as though he believed Peter. He continued to exam to book before looking up. "I think wormtail is right. And it appeared when we were talking about someone defeating You-Know-Who. What if this explains it because You-Know-Who was the one who killed you and Lily, James."

"Well read it to find out." Sirius said looking unconvinced. "It doesn't sound likely, but where did it come from if it's from the future? Who is J.K. Rowling?"

Remus began to read outloud.

**CHAPTER ONE**

**THE BOY WHO LIVED**

Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.

**They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.**

**Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills.**

"Drill?" James asked, "Aren't those something muggles use? I took muggle studies remember? It sounds familiar."

**He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large moustache. Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbours. The Dursley's had a small son called Dudley.**

**The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters.**

"Don't know anyone named Dursley." James said. "But maybe my parents do. But I know the family tree really well and I have never seen anyone with Dursley as their last name."

"It sounds muggle. Do you have any muggleborns in your family?" Sirius asked, "If drills are mentioned then they must be muggle."

"Maybe they had a falling out years ago." Peter answered.

**Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister, but they hadn't met for several years: in fact, Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister because her sister and her good-for-nothing husband were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be. The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbours would say if the Potters arrived in the street. The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son, too, but they had never even seen him. This boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that.**

"Lily has sister." James said. "But I thought her last name was Evans as well. She is muggleborn."

"It must be her sister's husband's last name." Remus answered, "That would explain a lot. Lily has told me about her sister Petunia during prefect patrols and I guess they don't get along. Petunia calls Lily a freak for being a witch, even though she is jealous."

"She calls her a freak?" James asked ingidnantly. "Lily is the prettiest most perfect girl I know."

"We all know about your undying love for Lily. Though I was sure you'd have given up on her by now." Sirius said laughing.

"This book says we get married." James argued back.

"It's a fiction novel that you probably wrote." Sirius shot back.

"I don't write unless I have to." James said. "And Peter thinks it's from the future."

"Since when does what Peter say make sense?" Sirius asked, Peter threw him a dirty look.

"Moony believes it too."

**When Mr. and Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, grey Tuesday our story starts,**

Remus had started to read out loud again to stop the argument

**there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair.**

**None of them noticed a large tawny owl flutter past the window.**

**At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek and tried to kiss Dudley goodbye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing cereal at the walls.**

"Why are we hearing about the Dursley's if this is about Harry Potter?" Sirius asked. "That son sounds like a brat."

"You'll see." James said glumly. "It gets there."

**"Little tyke," chortled Mr. Dursley as he left the house. He got into his car and backed out of number four's drive.**

**It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar - a cat reading a map.**

"McGonagall!" Sirius exclaimed.

**For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realise what he had seen -then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight.**

**What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light. Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive - No, looking at the sign; cats couldn't read maps or signs.**

**Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove towards town, he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day.**

"I bet it's McGonagall. She probably was reading a map but for rid of it when Dursley noticed her." Sirius said.

James who already knew this nodded. "It is, keep reading and you'll see."

"What is she doing at Lily's sisters?" Peter asked.

**But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks. Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes - the get-ups you saw on young people!"**

"Witches and wizards?" Peter asked, "But we all know not to dress in cloaks on the street."

"Something must have happened to make them not care." Sirius answered. "Maybe this explains what happens to You-Know-Who?"

**He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdoes standing quite close by. They were whispering excitedly together. Mr. Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald green cloak! The nerve of him! But then it struck Mr. Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt - these people were obviously collecting for something ... yes, that would be it.**

James laughed even though he already knew what was going to happen. "Believe what you want Dursley but I bet you are going to have a good surprise."

"Are you sure you didn't write this?" Sirius asked.

"I read it until it said Lily and I died." James said. "I told you, I don't write."

"How do you two die?" Peter asked curiously.

"If you quit interrupting we'd find out." Remus snapped.

**The traffic moved on, and a few minutes later, Mr. Dursley arrived in the Grunnings car park, his mind back on drills.**

**Mr. Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning.**

**He didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight, though the people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open-mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead.**

"Even the owls are letting muggles notice them." Sirius said, "Weird."

**Most of them had never seen an owl even at night time. Mr. Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning. He yelled a five different people. He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more. He was in a very good mood until lunch-time, when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk across the road to buy himself a bun from the baker's opposite.**

**He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy. This lot were whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying.**

**"The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard -"**

**"- yes, their son, Harry - "**

"There is Harry." Sirius said. "Why would you name your son Harry?"

"Must be a name Lily likes." James said. "But it's not a bad name, you'd be his godfather so get used to it."

"Are they going to talk about the Philosophers stone?" Peter asked. "That's the title. Maybe Harry had one."

"Where would he get one?" Remus asked. "I think it will be mentioned later. I think Harry must be a baby too, or at least a small child."

"Why?" Sirius asked.

**Mr. Dursley stopped dead. Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it.**

**He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone and had almost finished dialling his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his moustache, thinking...**

**No, he was being stupid. Potter wasn't such an unusual name.**

"That's true." James said. "There are muggles with Potter as their last name. I'm not related to them I don't think but it's a common last name muggle or not. Black is too."

"Don't tell mum that." Sirius muttered.

**He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a son called Harry. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his nephew was called Harry. He'd never even seen the boy. It might have been Harvey. Or Harold. There was no point in worrying Mrs. Dursley; she always got so upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her - if he'd had a sister like that... but all the same, those people in cloaks...**

**He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon, and when he left the building at five o'clock, he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door.**

"Sorry," he grunted, as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell.

**  
**

**It was a few seconds before Mr. Dursley realised that the man was wearing a violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in a squeaky voice-**

"Professor Flitwick!" Peter exclaimed. "But why isn't he at Hogwarts?"

"Why is Professor McGonagall at the Dursley's?" Sirius asked. "Why are the teachers where the Dursleys are? Harry must be very important then."

**that made passers-by stare: "Don't be sorry my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last! Even Muggles like your self should be celebrating this happy, happy day!"**

"Oh, that's why." Sirius said. "They are celebrating that You-Know-Who is gone."

"So if you and lily are dead then are they leaving Harry with the Dursleys?" Peter asked James who nodded. "I didn't get to that part but I think so."

**And the old man hugged Mr. Dursley around the middle and walked off.**

**Mr. Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that was.**

**He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination.**

**As he pulled into the driveway at number four, the first thing he saw - and it didn't improve his mood - was the tabby cat he'd spotted that morning. It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around its eyes.**

"It _is_ McGonagall." Sirius said. "We've all seen her in her animagus form. I've seen those markings around her eyes. It's her glasses."

**Was this normal cat behaviour, Mr. Dursley wondered? **

"It's not a normal cat." James said who couldn't help laughing.

**Trying to pull himself together, he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife.**

**Mrs. Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs. Next Door's problems with her daughter and how Dudley had learnt a new word (Shan't).**

"Nosy." Sirius muttered.

**Mr. Dursley tried to act normally. When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living-room in time to catch the last report on the evening news:**

**"And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving very unusually today. Although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their sleeping pattern." The news reader allowed himself a grin. "Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim?"**

**"Well, Ted," said the weatherman, "I don't know about that, but it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain that I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars!**

"People must not care about the muggles finding out about us." Peter said.

"Well think about these past few years Wormtail." James said. "It's awful sitting at school and knowing my parents could be attacked or anyone really. There are so many dementor kisses."

**Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper about the Potters...Mrs. Dursley came into the living-room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously. "Er - Petunia, dear - you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?"**

"It_ is_ Lily's sister." Remus said interrupting himself. "Lily has a sister named Petunia, she is always complaining about her."

James shot Remus a jealous look for knowing so much about Lily, even though he knew about this since he had read it already.

**As he expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister.**

**"No," she said sharply. "Why?"**

**"Funny stuff on the news," Mr. Dursley mumbled. "Owls... shooting stars... and there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today..."**

**"So?" snapped Mrs. Dursley.**

**"Well, I just thought... maybe ... it was something to do with ... you know ... her lot."**

"_Her_ lot." James asked furiously. "He'd better treat my son right."

**Mrs. Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr. Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he'd heard the name 'Potter'.**

**He decided he didn't dare. Instead he said, as casually as he could, "Their son - he'd be about Dudley's age now wouldn't he?"**

**"I suppose so," said Mrs. Dursley stiffly.**

**"What's his name again? Howard isn't it?"**

**"Harry. Nasty, common name, if you ask me."**

"Hey!" Sirius exclaimed furiously who had complained about the name earlier. "That's my god son. How come I don't have him if you two die."

"I was wondering that myself." James said. "And if not you, if you died but Remus or Peter."

"Maybe we all die." Peter said shuddering at that thought.

"You never know, but then why doesn't Harry?" Sirius asked.

"Maybe he does." Peter asked.

"The story is about him so he can't." Sirius argued

"Maybe he found a philosophers stone and will bring himself back to life." Peter answered,

"You can't bring yourself back to life." James interrupted.

"What about the elixir of life then?" Peter asked.

"You have to be alive already." Remus said.

"**Oh, yes," said Mr. Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. "Yes, I quite agree."**

**He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs. Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there. It was staring down Privet Drive as though it was waiting for something.**

**Was he imagining things?**

**Could all this have anything to do with the Potters? If it did ... if it got out that they were related to a pair of - well, he didn't think he could bear it.**

**The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs. Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr. Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters were involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs. Dursley. The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind ... He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on. He yawned and turned over. It couldn't affect them ...**

**How very wrong he was.**

"So they must be bringing Harry here." Sirius said.

"Maybe McGonagall is just guarding the Dursleys." Peter said.

"But why? You-Know-Who is gone." Sirius.

"Well You-Know-Who's followers will be angry." Remus said. "They could attack them. Snape hates Petunia so he could send them for her."

"How does Snape know Petunia?" Peter asked.

"They all grew up in the same town. Didn't you notice that Lily and Snape used to be friends until after our OWL exams when he called her a mudblood?"

"I always wondered why she talked to him." James said, "Glad she doesn't anymore though."

**Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed in the next street, nor when the two owls swooped overhead.**

**In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all.**

"She did that once to us, remember?" James asked. "We were sneaking out and she waited for us all night to come because she overheard us. She knew we were under the cloak."

"Yes." Sirius said laughing. "We knew it was her because she was so stiff."

"And then she turned into a person and Peter nearly wet himself."

"Yeah it was because Peter shrieked we got caught."

"She knew we were there though." Remus pointed out. "Or else she wouldn't have transformed."

"I wonder how." Sirius said.

**A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground.**

**The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed.**

**Nothing like this man had been seen in Privet Drive. He was tall, thin and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt.**

"Dumbledore." Peter said.

"So we've heard about McGonagall, Flitwick and now Dumbledore. I wonder if Professor Sprout will turn up now.

"Or Slughorn." James said. "Maybe he is pretending to be a chair somewhere."

"A chair?" Remus asked.

"He can turn into a chair." Sirius said. "We've seen him. I didn't know people could turn into furniture until James sat on him and he turned into a person."

All four marauders burst into laughter. James had been very shocked, he had leapt up and stared at Slughorn in disbelief and embarrassment.

**He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak which swept the ground and high-heeled, buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.**

"You can tell just from the description it's him, they didn't have to say the name."

**Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realise that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome. He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realise he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known."**

"Definitely McGonagall then." Sirius said.

**He had found what he was looking for in his inside pocket.**

**It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop.**

"Out putter. He invented that you know." Peter said.

Remus, James and Sirius stared at Peter in shock, since when did he know something they didn't.

**He clicked it again - the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer, until the only lights left in the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him.**

**If anyone looked out of their window now, even the beady-eyed Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street towards number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat.**

**He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it.**

**"Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall."**

"Ha! I was right." Sirius said.

"We all knew it was." James said.

"You did because you read this part already." Sirius said.

**  
**

**He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled.**

**"How did you know it was me?" she asked.**

**"My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly."**

**"You'd be stiff too if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day," said Professor McGonagall.**

**"All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here."**

**Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily.**

**"Oh yes, everyone's celebrating all right," she said impatiently. "You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no - even the Muggles noticed something's going on. It was on their news." She jerked her head back at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. "I heard it. Flocks of owls ... shooting stars ... Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent - I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense."**

"I'd probably do it as well." James said. "I was thinking it was us until I found out I died."

"Maybe it was me." Sirius said hopefully.

"**You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years."**

**"I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes swapping rumours."**

"About my son." James said. "And Lily and I."

**She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on: "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really has gone, Dumbledore?"**

**"It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore. "We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a sherbet lemon?"**

**"A what?"**

**"A sherbet lemon. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of."**

**"No, thank you," said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for sherbet lemons.**

**"As I say, even if You-Know-Who has gone -"**

**"My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like your self can call him by his name? All this 'You-Know-Who' nonsense - for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: Voldemort".**

Peter flinched.

"My parents do the same." James said.

"We only say You-Know-Who for Peter's sake." Sirius said. "I have no problem calling him by his name."

"Same here." Remus said, "My parents have always called him Voldemort."

**Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was un-sticking two sherbet lemons, seemed not to notice.**

**"It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who.' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's****name."**

"But it looks like we are going to have to say it." Sirius said looking at Peter. "Sorry wormtail."

**"I know you haven't," said Professor McGonagall, sounding half-exasperated, half-admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're the one You-Know - oh, all right, Voldemort was frightened of"**

**"You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort had powers I will never have."**

**"Only because you're too - well - noble to use them."**

**"It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs."**

The marauders started to laugh. Dumbledore did like to say things like that. They couldn't really imagine him blushing though which made it seem funnier.

**Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "The owls are nothing to the rumours that are flying around. You know what everyone's saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?" It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now.**

**It was plain that whatever 'everyone' was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore, however, was choosing another sherbet lemon and did not answer.**

**"What they're saying," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters. The rumour is that Lily and James Potter are - are - that they're - dead.**"

"This were I stopped reading." James said.

"But maybe you two saved Harry from Voldemort." Remus said.

"I hoped I died for a noble reason." James said. "But it's not fair my son can't have a father or mother. If only I could have died and Lily could have lived with Harry. Why didn't she apparate? You can with babies."

"Maybe she wanted to help." Sirius said.

**Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped.**

**"Lily and James ... I can't believe it ... I didn't want to believe it ... Oh, Albus ..."**

"Didn't know you cared so much McGonagall." James said with a sad grin.

**Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "I know ... I know ..." he said heavily.**

**Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. "That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son, Harry.**

"So Harry must be older." Sirius said.

"Maybe they dueled." James said. "Harry was angry because Voldemort killed Lily and I so he fought You-Know-Who and killed him."

"Wow." Peter said. "And that's why this book came when we were talking about who could get rid of You-Know-Who."

"Because someone will." Sirius said. "James' son. He must be powerful."

"Maybe he went after your family because of the Philosopher's stone." Peter said.

"Maybe, but where would we get one?" James asked. "Harry must have to protect it now."

"Must be well known you had it then." Remus said.

"Well in the future," Sirius said grinning at James. "Don't brag you have it. Of course Voldemort would want it. If he has it he'll never die."

"But if I had it, why didn't I make the elixir of life to keep me alive? Especially with Voldemort after me?" James asked.

"Maybe you didn't use it." Remus answered.

"Or you knew where it was but didn't have it." Sirius said.

**"But - he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke - and that's why he's gone."**

"Ok, so they didn't duel if Harry is a little boy." James said. "But Harry could have used accidental magic when he saw Lily and I dead. Anger does that."

"Well at least he got rid him." Sirius said. "But that is crude to try and kill a child."

"Since when does Voldemort care?" Remus asked. "If someone is a muggle, muggleborn or blood traitor he'll kill them. Harry is the son of a muggleborn and son of a blood traitor."

"And he knew where the Philosophers stone was." Peter added.

**Dumbledore nodded glumly.**

**"It's - it's true?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done ... all the people he's killed ... he couldn't kill a little boy? It's just astounding ...of all the things to stop him ... but how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?"**

**"we can only guess," said Dumbledore. "We may never know."**

"Harry is very powerful, that's how." James said proudly.

**Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took out a watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"**

"Hagrid!" James exclaimed. "What would the Dursley's think of having all the Hogwarts teachers outside their school. Hagrid isn't a teacher, but he is at Hogwarts."

**"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here, of all places?"**

**"I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now."**

"What about my parents or Lily's parent's?" James asked. "My parents die too then?"

**You don't mean - you can't mean the people who live here?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. "Dumbledore - you can't."**

"**I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son - I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Harry Potter come and live here!"**

"Why can't Sirius take him?" James demanded.

"We must all be dead." Remus said. "But I'm sure some wizarding family would take him though."

"And it sounds like they spoil Dudley." Sirius said. "But maybe they'll spoil Harry too."

"They'd better treat him right. If Lily and I marry the first thing I'll do is hex Vernon Dursley."

"You can't." Remus said.

"And Lily would divorce you." Sirius added.

"Not if she knew about this book." James said.

**"It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter."**

**"A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter? These people will never understand him!****He'll be famous - a legend - I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter Day in future - there will be books written about Harry - every child in our world will know his name!"**

"So then that means anyone would be eager to take Harry." James said.

"I will." Peter said. "If I'm still alive I'll go to the Dursley's the night it happens and I'll take him if Remus or Sirius can't"

"Thank you." James said to Peter.

**"Exactly," said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Can't you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?"**

"Well that is true..." Remus said slowly. "Don't want him to be arrogant about it."

"He would have a right." James said. "Anyway, you could teach him not to be."

"His father is arrogant enough." Sirius said grinning at James. "We'd definitely have to teach him not to be."

**Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed and then said, "Yes - yes, you're right, of course.****But how is the boy getting here Dumbledore?"**

**She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it.**

**"Hagrid's bringing him."**

**You think it - wise - to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"**

**"I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore.**

"Why shouldn't he?" James asked. "Hagrid would rather die then let something happen to my son."

**"I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to - what was that?"**

"Hagrid and Harry!" Peter said excitedly. "Wonder if he looks like you James?"

**A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky - and a huge motorbike fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.**

"Have you come Sirius?" James asked excitedly. "Weren't you saying you want a motorbike?"

"Yes. So I've come to take Harry to live with me." Sirius answered. "Don't worry James, I'll teach him not to be too arrogant."

**If the motorbike was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild - long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of dustbin lids and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. In his vast muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.**

"Oh, it's Hagrid." Sirius said. "Since when does he fly on motorbikes."

"It doesn't seem possible he could."

"Since when do motorbikes fly? I thought they were for muggles." Peter said.

"I'd find away around that." Sirius said.

**"Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorbike?"**

**"Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorbike as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it me."**

"Well it's mine anyway, but I wonder why I didn't come with it."

"Maybe you couldn't." James said. "But at least you helped. You'll know where Harry is though. So talk to Dumbledore about taking him. Don't just take him or you'll have to be on the run and that's no life for a child."

"**I've got him, sir."**

**"No problems, were there?"**

**"No, sir - house was almost destroyed but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we were flyin' over Bristol."**

**Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.**

"He has my hair then." James said. "And the cut must be from the attack."

"And Harry is just a baby." Remus said. "Odd he survived."

"And got rid of Voldemort."

**"Is that where - ?" whispered Professor McGonagall.**

**"Yes," said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar for ever."**

**"Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?"**

"No don't." James said. "It shows how brave he is."

Sirius laughed. "How brave he is?"

"A baby defeated Voldemort, he has to be brave."

"But how?" Peter asked.

"Maybe he drank the elixir of life." James said.

"Yeah maybe!" Peter exclaimed.

**"Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in useful. I have one myself above my left knee which is a perfect map of the London Underground. Well - give him here, Hagrid - we'd better get this over with."**

**Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned towards the Dursleys' house.**

**"Could I - could I say goodbye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid.**

**He bent his great shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss.**

**Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.**

"Hagrid has always had a soft heart." Sirius said laughing.

"Hope he doesn't wake my baby." James said frowning.

**"Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall. "You'll wake the Muggles!"**

**"S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it - Lily an' James dead - an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles -"**

**"Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found," Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and****walked to the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep, took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets and then came back to the other two. For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out..**

"I can't believe they are just going to leave him on the doorstep overnight." James said indignantly. "What if someone takes him away over night?"

"Or if it's too cold and he gets sick." Peter

"Or once of Voldemorts supporters know where he isand finishes him off." Remus added with a frown. "They'll want to get him."

"Well I'm going to get him." Sirius said. "I'll have to apparate, but I'll get him."

**"Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations."**

**Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice. "I'll be takin' Sirius his bike back. G'night, Professor McGonagall - Professor Dumbledore, sir."**

"Or else I'll just come back with the motorbike to get him." Sirius said amused.

**Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself on to the motorbike and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night.**

**"I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply.**

**Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street.**

**He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four.**

**"Good luck, Harry," he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak he was gone.**

**A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley ...He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Harry Potter - the boy who lived!"**

"No mention of the Stone at all." Peter said.

"Well there are more chapters." Sirius pointed out.

James flung himself back down on the bed depressed. He hadn't liked this story. If this was the future he wanted to change it. He was also going to ask Lily about her sister. Remus confirmed that Petunia was Lily's sister but that didn't mean anything. It would be confirmed once they knew for sure if Petunia marries someone named Vernon Dursley. _Then how do Lily and I get married?_ He knew Lily hated him.

"Should we keep reading?" Sirius asked. "You all right Prongs?"

"I'll read." Peter said volunteering to read next.


End file.
